Road sweeper broom chamber control

ABSTRACT

THE INVENTION REPLACES THE USUAL AIR SEAL FLAP ATTACHED TO THE FORWARD WALL OF A ROAD SWEEPER PICKUP BROOM CHAMBER AND SUBJECT TO LODGED DEFLECTION AND RETENTION BETWEEN THE BROOM AND WALL, BY PROVIDING A DIFFERENT FLAP PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FOR BODILY ROTATION BETWEEN REVERSIBLE POSITIONS IN WHICH A LOWER EXTENT OF THE FLAP RIDES THE ROAD SURFACE AND AN UPPER EXTENT BEARS AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE BROOM HOUSING IN A POSITION FROM WHICH THE FLAP HAS DEFLECTED ESCAPE DURING THE FLAP REVERSAL.

June 15, .1971 J, LARSEN ETAL 3,584,325

ROAD SWEEPER BROOM CHAMBER CONTROL Filed Nov. 13, 1969 INVEA/ 7-025@EEGOEGJ (I, lines-EN ROOMEVZ moon/o2 TH rrae/veuw.

United States Patent O ice 3,584,325 ROAD SWEEPER BROOM CHAMBER CONTROLGregory J. Larsen and Rodney L. Woodworth, Claremont, Calif., assignorsto Wayne Manufacturing Company, Pomona, Calif.

Filed Nov. 13, 1969, Ser. No. 876,439 Int. Cl. E01h 1/04 US. CI. -83 6Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention replaces the usual airseal flap attached to the forward wall of a road sweeper pickup broomchamber and subject to lodged deflection and retention between the broomand wall, by providing a different flap pivotally mounted for bodilyrotation between reversible positions in which a lower extent of theflap rides the road surface and an upper extent bears against the insideof the broom housing in a position from which the flap has deflectedescape during the flap reversal.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Certain types of road sweepers containing apower driven pickup broom operating in a curved wall chamber spacedabout the broom, have employed forwardly of the broom a flexible roadengaging seal strip or flap attached to the chamber wall and deflectabletoward the broom as irregularities are encountered.

It has been observed that large road objects may at times excessivelydeflect the flap to the extent of displacing and doubling it upwardlyinto the space between the broom and chamber wall where the flap tendsto remain since its deflection is in the direction of the broomrotation. Thus the function of the flap is lost until the flap isreturned to normal position.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention eliminates thepossibility of such occurrences by mounting the flap so that it willremain free of interbrush-chamber confinement whatever may beencountered on the swept surface.

Generally this objective is achieved by mounting the flap for rotationbetween the brush and chamber wall so that the effect of obstacleencounter is to rotate and deflect the flap to a position of escape fromthe chamber wall confinement and reversal of its road engaging position.

A simple and effective mount pivots the flap for rotation about alongitudinal center axis by attachment of the pivot to the sweeperframe, preferably in a manner permitting bodily elevation of the stripfor non-sweeping travel.

The features and details of the invention will be readily apparent fromthe following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment shownby the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing atypical single pickup broom sweeper equipped with the reversible sealflap, the broom chamber appearing in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlargement of the flap and its mountingcorresponding to FIG. 1;

3,584,325 Patented June 15, 1971 FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2showing the flap deflected by encounter with larger debris on the roadsurface; and

FIG. 4 is a showing in perspective of the flap and its mounting arms.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIG. 1 thesweeper vehicle is of a generally known type comprising a power drivenpickup broom 10 rotating in the direction of the arrow within a housing11 arched about the broom and interrupted at 12 to provide a dischargeopening through which the broom sweepings and debris are projected intothe hopper 13.

The bottom of the broom chamber 14 is sealed forwardly of the broom inthe direction of the sweeper travel by a flexible flap 15 positionedgenerally below the lower housing extent 11a so as to be receivablewithin the space 16 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The flap 15 is mountedfor swinging movement about a longitudinal central axis by attachment ofthe flap to the sections of a split shaft 17 or similar constructionrotatable within bearings 18 carried by arms or links 19 pivoted at 20as to the forward portion of the sweeper body or frame. As will benoted, the flap extents 15a and 15b above and below shafts 17 are equalso that upon reversal action of the flap it remains the same.

Normally during sweeping operations the flap 15 is engaged with the roadsurface substantially as shown in FIG. 2, forming by reason of itsengagement with the housing at 21 a broom chamber seal. At times duringsweeping the flap may encounter objects or pieces of debris 22 too largeto be received beneath the usual flap without its considerabledistortion. Here the flap thus is subjected to progressive deflectionwhich results in its displacement along the inside of the broom housingsurface at 21 until the flap escapes such engagement and becomes free torotate initially to an intermediate position illustrated by the brokenlines in FIG. 3 where the flap is deflected and becomes rotationallydriven by the rotating broom. Thus the flap is rotated to a position inwhich it is again accommodated within the space 16, and the flap extents15a and 15b have reversed. Mounting of the flap by arms 19 for bodilydisplacement further assures freedom of the flap to displace and rotatein the manner described whatever may be the size of debris 22 normallyencountered by the flap.

Between the sweeping operations the flap may be elevated for travel tothe broken line position appearing in FIG. 2 by raising chain connection23 with one of the arms 19.

We claim:

1. In a road sweeper having a powered cylindrical pickup broom rotatableabout a horizontal axis, an armate shroud defining a broom chamber andhaving its forward wall spaced above the road surface, a bodilyrotatable air seal flap pivotally mounted between its upper and lowerextents and positioned forwardly of the broom so that normally the lowerextent of the flap travels the road surface and the upper extent isreceived within a space between the broom and said forward wall, saidflap being rotatable by engagement with larger objects encountered onthe road to reverse the positions of said flap extents.

3 4 2. A road sweeper according to claim 1, in which the 6. A roadsweeper according to claim 5, including flap is flexible and isdeflected by and escapes said wall means limiting downward swing of saidarm, and means during the flap reversal. for elevating the arm.

3. A road sweeper according to claim 2, in which said flap is normallyinclined toward the broom. References (Iited 4. A road sweeper accordingto claim 1, including UNITED STATES PATENTS t' d 't 'l d mg the flap anI 8 for y upwar 876,727 1/1908 Pevey 15 s4 5. A road sweeper accordingto claim 4, in which said 3,093,853 6/1963 Tamny 1583 mounting meanscomprises a flap carrying arm pivoted 10 to the sweeper frame forvertical swinging movement. EDWARD ROBERTS Pnmary Examiner

